Party General Secretary To Lam held talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on the morning of October 21, (local time), immediately following a formal welcom ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, marking a key milestone in bilateral relations.

Welcoming General Secretary To Lam, President Stubb described the visit as an important landmark in the history of Vietnam-Finland relations. He emphasized that despite global uncertainties, ties between the two countries continue to grow steadily.

Noting that this is the first official visit of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) to Finland since diplomatic relations were established, President Stubb affirmed Finland’s commitment to strengthening relations with Vietnam and highlighted that Vietnam is Finland’s most important trading partner in Southeast Asia. He also hailed Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements as a “success story” and expressed his hope that the visit would pave the way for expanded cooperation in multiple potential areas.

In response, Party chief To Lam showed great joy at visiting Finland, praised the country’s accomplishments in socio-economic development, and commended Finland’s foreign policy and international cooperation efforts for sustainable and shared prosperity. He affirmed Vietnam’s respect for its traditional friendship with Finland, acknowledged Finland’s support during Vietnam’s reconstruction and development, and expressed the wish that Finland would continue to be a reliable partner in Vietnam’s new era of development. He also conveyed greetings from Vietnam’s top leaders and an invitation to President Stubb to visit Vietnam.

During the talks, the two leaders updated each other on their countries’ developments and expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum in bilateral relations. They discussed strategic directions to further elevate Vietnam-Finland ties, agreeing to bolster cooperation in areas such as the circular economy, green transition, sustainable maritime development, digital transformation, environmental protection, and climate change response.

Both sides pledged to leverage the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to facilitate business collaboration, particularly in agriculture and consumer goods. General Secretary To Lam reiterated Vietnam’s openness to Finnish investment and highlighted the nation’s readiness to serve as a bridge for Finland to access the EU-ASEAN market, thereby boosting Vietnam-EU and Finland-ASEAN cooperation.

He also urged Finland to encourage the remaining EU members to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and to support the EU Commission in lifting the IUU yellow card on Vietnamese seafood exports.

Party leader called on Finland to increase investment in sectors where Finland has strengths, including green technology, processing technology, energy transition, and logistics services. President Stubb confirmed Finland’s willingness to cooperate in areas of Finnish expertise that align with Vietnam’s needs, such as circular economy, forestry, science and technology, education and training, and climate change response.

In response to Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s praise for the integration and contributions of the Vietnamese community in Finland, General Secretary To Lam sincerely thanked the Finnish State and people for their continued support, enabling the Vietnamese community in Finland to live, study, and work in stability. He expressed his hope that Finland would further facilitate and support the community’s continued integration and effective contributions to local society, serving as an important bridge to promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

On regional and international issues, including security matters, both sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability, supported peaceful dispute resolution based on international law, and called for restraint and an end to conflicts.

Regarding the East Sea, they reaffirmed ASEAN’s common stance on freedom of navigation and aviation, advocating peaceful solutions in line with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), thereby contributing to regional and global stability.

On the occasion, Vietnam and Finland issued a joint statement officially upgrading their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership. The declaration highlights major achievements in the relationship and sets strategic directions to strengthen cooperation and further develop the traditional friendship and strategic partnership for the long-term benefit of both nations’ people, and for peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in their regions and worldwide.

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